Hopefully, by following the plan I have laid out for you, you'll find it easy and fun to become an expert on whatever topic you want to become an expert on. However, I feel like I should make you aware of some of the struggles you might have on this journey so you’re prepared.
Know that even the top experts in the world have doubts and problems sometimes. I also want to remind you that success does not happen in a straight line. You will have ups and downs.
Sometimes, things will go right and sometimes they will go wrong. Sometimes, you'll feel like giving up. You'll feel like switching to another topic or forgetting that you set out to change your life in the first place. You have to keep your larger goals in mind. You have to be able to push forward, no matter what. Yes, you’ll have good days and bad, but having overarching goals can help you follow through.
One of the big problems a lot of experts and wannabe experts have is not feeling “expert enough.” Here's a clue– there will always be someone out there who knows more than you do. There will always be someone out there who is having more success than you're having, even if you know more than they know.
You have to keep learning and innovating. The second you stop is the second you have failed. There's always more to know, there are always other perspectives to study, and there are other ways to do things.
The great thing about you is that there is no one else like you out there. You are one-of-a-kind. That means your perspective and take on things is unique. People will learn different things from you than they learn from other experts. That's a wonderful thing. They will turn to you for one thing and someone else for another thing. The world would be boring if we were all the same.
Never feel like you're not expert enough. Even at the end of these first 30 days, don't feel like you aren’t expert enough. Remember that as long as you know more than the newest person, then you have something to teach and share. Remember that expertise is on a scale. If you're number 5 on the scale, then you are absolutely an expert to that number 1 on the scale. You’re an expert to a number 1 on the scale even if you’re a number 2 on the scale. Think of this as a continuum and it will be easier to eat for you to swallow that there are, and always will be, people who know more than you.
That brings me to my next point. Sometimes, you'll feel like you're too new to declare yourself an expert. I certainly feel that way on certain topics, even if I've been focused on them for years. But, instead of looking at other experts as competition or feeling like you can never measure up to them, think of what you can learn from them. There are things I do well and things I don't do as well. Analyze what your favorite experts do and apply what you learn to your own plans for learning and developing expertise.
Don't let other people get you down. You will run into people who look down on you because you haven't been doing things for as long as they have. But, that doesn't mean that your fresh perspective is invaluable– it absolutely is valuable. You owe it to yourself to become an expert and share what you've learned with others. You have certain goals that can only be reached if you continue on your journey to become an expert. Allow yourself to succeed– get out of your own way. Indeed, you are the only one who can determine if you become a true expert or not.
There's another problem that is perhaps even more damaging. Maybe you haven't been able to find your exact niche within your area of expertise. You should be dreaming about it and thinking about it at all hours of the day and night. There has to be a particular area that you are more interested in over all the others. Until you find that, you probably won't be focused enough.
If your topic is eluding you, then you may want to seek insight from other people to find your unique angle. Otherwise, keep studying, keep learning, and stay passionate about your topic. It will come to you, probably when you least expect it.
The point is that you can overcome absolutely anything left standing in your way. You can't let anything hold you back– Nothing at all. Remember that there'll be ups and downs and prepare yourself for that inevitability. Turn to others for help when you need it. Others can help you keep going even when you feel exhausted.
Above all, make sure you regularly revisit your goals. If what you're doing and what you're learning isn't in line with your goals, then you're wasting your time. You have to have that overall reason why you're doing this, or you just won't be able to keep going.
Yes, you will have struggles. Sometimes, it will feel like it's all too much. Brainstorm, take a rest, consult with others, and keep up with your goals, and you can get through absolutely anything that is standing in your way.